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Soil organic matter doubles the cation exchange capacity of tropical soil under no‐till farming in Brazil
Author(s) -
Ramos Fabricio T,
Dores Eliana FG de Carvalho,
Weber Oscarlina L dos Santos,
Beber Daniel C,
Campelo José H,
Maia João C de Souza
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.8881
Subject(s) - cation exchange capacity , latosol , humus , organic matter , soil water , total organic carbon , soil carbon , soil organic matter , environmental science , soil fertility , soil ph , chemistry , agronomy , soil science , environmental chemistry , biology , organic chemistry
BACKGROUND Agricultural conservation practices increase total organic carbon storage in soil (T OCS ), a factor that is correlated with the physical and chemical qualities of highly weathered soils. In this study, we investigated the effects of T OCS on the physicochemical attributes of a Latosol after 10 years of no‐till management in Mato Grosso State, Brazil. RESULTS T COS was highly correlated ( r = 0.92) with cation exchange capacity (CEC, pH = 7) and soil density. In the top 0.2 m soil layer, CEC increased by 25% with every 1.8 kg m −2 of stored organic carbon. Eliminating soil organic matter reduced CEC from an already low value of 8.40 cmol c kg −1 to 4.82 cmol c kg −1 . Humus is therefore clearly important for the formation of a negative liquid charge in a predominantly electropositive but clayey soil. CONCLUSION We confirmed that T OCS is an indicator related to the physiochemical characteristics of weathered soils. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that the increased carbon storage under non‐tilling systems is essential for guaranteeing weathered soil fertility in tropical climates. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry